Rodri Hernández has identified six players he believes deserve to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, noticeably omitting several prominent contenders including Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Harry Kane.
The Barcelona star revealed his choices during an interview with the El Partidazo show on COPE, emphasizing his desire to see the prestigious accolade awarded to a Spanish player following La Roja’s FIFA World Cup triumph.
“There are six of us: Cucurella, Cubarsí, Rodri, Fabián, Lamine, and Ferran,” Rodri stated, asserting that every individual on his shortlist possesses compelling merits to claim the prize.
He pointed out that Fabián Ruiz accumulated the highest number of trophies throughout the campaign, while Pau Cubarsí achieved extraordinary success at just 19 years old. He further highlighted Ferran Torres for scoring the decisive goal in the World Cup, while describing Lamine Yamal as a generational talent.
Rodri included himself after anchoring Spain’s world champion campaign and earning the World Cup Golden Ball, adding another landmark achievement following his previous 2024 Ballon d’Or victory.
Conversely, Rodri made no mention of Mbappé, Dembélé, Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, or Lionel Messi, despite their prominent standing in the overall race, though he characterized their self-belief and promotional campaigns as entirely natural.
Alongside the Spanish sextet, the 30-man shortlist features 24 other nominees, with the official 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony scheduled to take place on October 26 in London.
